Types of grease traps
In the United States, there are three major types of grease traps found in food service establishments:
Small passive hydromechanical grease interceptors (also known as grease traps)
Large pre-cast concrete gravity grease interceptors
Automatic grease/oil removal systems such as Big Dipper
Passive grease traps date back to 1885 when the first U.S. patent was issued. Today's large and small grease traps use the same basic operating design as the 1885 model. While they do a fine job trapping grease, removing the grease is a task left to the owner.
Small passive traps must be cleaned out by hand. Large pre-cast traps, on the other hand, must be cleaned out by a professionally operated vacuum or pump truck.